


Fictober 2019 Drabbles

by Khanpial



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, G.I. Joe: Sigma Six (Cartoon), Mass Effect - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cross-Posted on FictionPress, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Drabble Collection, Dragons, Fantasy, Fictober 2019, Gen, General, Magic-Users, Minor Violence, Romance, Tumblr Prompt, fictober19, some drabbles are linked to each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-28 02:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20958593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanpial/pseuds/Khanpial
Summary: Drabbles written for the Fictober 19 event over on Tumblr. If there are any trigger warnings, they will be posted at the top of the chapter - there aren't many and I don't do very graphic stuff.Chap 1-8 -Original FictionChap 9 - Dragon Age InquistionChap 10 - Original FictionChap 11 - GI Joe: Sigma SixChap 12 - Mass Effect





	1. "It will be fun, trust me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Ryhar, Shimbas

_ **Day 1** _

_ **Prompt 1: "It will be fun, trust me."** _

"It will be fun, trust me."

I leaned back in my chair to glare at the man opposite me, "last time you said that. I nearly had my teeth pulled out!"

Shimbas gave an unapologetic laugh and shrugged his shoulders, "well, it wasn't my fault that you had to be caught by the guards."

"I was caught because you left me behind to save yourself."

"Oh, stop grumbling", Shimbas reached towards his mug and took a long draught of it, finishing it.

Slamming the empty mug back down onto the table between us, he then leant back making himself comfortable while folding his hands over his belly.

"Ryhar, let bygones be bygones, I promise you this time it will be a fun little excursion." He shot at me with his smarmy little smirk that he says gets all the ladies flocking to him.

Unfortunately, for him, I was no lady.

"Shimbas, that's not going to work on me," I glared back at him.

All I wanted tonight was a nice quiet drink, and not get prepositioned by a slimy toad that I'd thought I'd never see again. My days of grabbing any two-bit job for some easy coin are over, now that I've got nice steady work guarding at old man Elaza's place.

No one's stupid enough to rob from a wizard, even if he was a dozing old man who forgot where he last put down his wand most of the time.

Shimbas's eyes took on a desperate glint, and his voice turned whiney, "Ryhar don't be like this, your got to help out with this job. I can't do it on my own, and there's no one else that I trust enough."

"You mean that there is no one else for you to turn to," I shook my head. "Shimbas, get out of here, I don't do those kinds of jobs anymore."

Shimbas stood up and leaned over me, pointing a finger threateningly, "you'll regret this if you don't help me, the people who hired me don't like failure."

"Don't make your problems mine Shimbas, go find some other lackey to screw over." I gave him a mocking goodbye salute.

Bashing past me, he stomped out of the inn. The fresh cold air from outside wafted in briefly before he slammed the door shut behind him.

Picking up my own ale, I took a swig. I was free of him for the night, but his last words to me left me with a niggling feeling deep inside that I hadn't seen the last of the man.

Shrugging, I waved over the barmaid for another drink, intending to get drunk to wash away Shimbas's visit. No good worrying about bad feelings, right?


	2. "Just follow me, I know the area."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romance drabble

_ **Day 2** _

_ **Prompt 2: "Just follow me, I know the area."** _

There's something about amusement parks at night when no one is in them, they give off the most creepy vibe. That's probably why horror movies like using abandoned ones so much.

As we pass the random shapes looming up in the dark, I shiver and reach out to grab Brandon's shirt sleeve.

"I don't want to get lost, why are we here?" I must have asked him that every five minutes since we arrived. Why he insisted on coming out here I have no idea.

"Just follow me, I know the area", Brandon says back, "and it's a surprise for the final time, that's all I'm saying!"

A small consolation is that he takes hold of my hand gripping his sleeve, his warm grasp makes me feel a little braver.

I've lost track of time, we've been walking for what seems ages but I know it's probably closer to half an hour. Brandon didn't give me any warning for tonight, I went and wore heels thinking we were going to do our usual dinner and a movie date. If I get blisters, I'm grinding one these heels on his foot as revenge!

I must have sighed, because Brandon gave a low chuckle and squeezed my hand reassuringly, "don't worry, we are almost there."

I had been trying to not take too much notice of our surroundings, due to all… you know… scary grinning clowns and other silent automatons leering at us out of the dark, but I noted that we were now moving on an upward slope. Looking up I saw we were heading up a hill that seemed to be situated at the end of the park.

Reaching the top, Brandon let go of my hand and swung around to face me.

"So, whaddya think?" He asked, gesturing towards our surroundings.

"Um," I looked around, "it's very… nice?"

Yeah, that creepy clown next to us totally wasn't going to spring to life and murder us in the next few minutes.

Brandon looked at the clown, "what no, not him! The view!"

Grabbing hold of my hands he pulls me to the other edge of the hill, where beyond the field on the outside of the park were the twinkling lights of our town.

"My parents used to bring my brother and I here when we were younger, before we'd go home we would always come look at the night lights first." Brandon said, smiling lightly at the memory.

"They are rather pretty," I said.

"There's more," he pointed at the sky, "if I timed it right with the news reports; there should be a meteorite shower starting in the next couple of minutes."

He grinned at me, "that's why I really dragged you all the way out here!"

Brandon brought me over to a bench that was placed at the edge, dusting it off before we sat down. We leaned back to watch the sky, it wasn't long before the first few streaks of falling stars started to rain down.

Mesmerized, I watched, having never seen a meteor shower before. I barely noticed Brandon shuffling beside me, until he stood up.

"Okay, so I lied," I could see that he was nervous for some reason.

Did I have to worry about him instead of Mr Creepy Clown statue?

"I didn't only bring you here to watch the meteorites," Brandon pulled something small out of his pocket, and knelt down in front of me and showed me it was a ring. "I also brought you out here to ask you to marry me, so will you be my wife?"

I gaped at him.

Seeing me speechless, Brandon started to look a bit crestfallen not sure of my reaction, "please? I know it's a bit sudden of me but I love you!"

"I… yes," I took a deep breath, trying to gather my words and not dissolve into a bubbling mess of tears, "it's just I'm so happy I can't speak!"

"You said yes?" Brandon confirmed shyly, and when I nodded he pulled me up and into a bear hug, "you said yes!"

Laughing together, he swung me around in his arms.

Never did I think when I entered this creepy park tonight, I would end up being proposed to under a night of falling stars by the man of my heart. Definitely worth the trip in the heels after all!


	3. "Now? Now you listen to me?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Ryhar, Shimbas, Nyroi

_ **Day 3** _

_ **Prompt 3: "Now? Now you listen to me?"** _

"Ok, I admit, this was a rather stupid idea of mine." Shimbas at least had the sense to look sorry.

"Now? Now you listen to me?" I didn't shout too loudly at him, not wanting to attract the dragon's attention any more than I already had.

"Well... I didn't know there was going to be a dragon in this old fortress," he shrugged, "at least the people who hired me didn't mention it."

"I'm way past regretting agreeing to join you!"

"You wanted coin, and I needed someone to come help with any heavy lifting," Shimbas patted me on the shoulder, "no use regretting your greed now Nyroi."

"I told you it wasn't going to be a fun and easy job! That we needed more people in case something went wrong," I slapped his hand off my shoulder, only to freeze as the dragon let out a growl.

"Everyone else turned me down," whispered Shimbas watching the dragon warily.

I sighed, "I should've done as well, as soon as I heard Ryhar wasn't coming along."

"Hey!" Shimbas scowled, "we don't need that guy anymore. Thinks he's all that now that he works for a wizard."

In front of us the dragon snorted, a lick of flame shooting out of its nostrils nearly reaching our feet. Both us hurriedly back up more, our heels almost over the edge. Anymore, and we would be going one way – down.

I should've listened to my gut feeling when Shimbas insisted we go look in the old crumbly dungeon as well, but oh no... I followed like a little sheep. I was expecting the ceiling to collapse, or lots of spiders; not a great hulking purple dragon sleeping until Shimbas dropped his torch in fright.

"Why doesn't it attack?" I asked, "its chased us all the way here and now its just sitting there."

"Maybe its playing with us, you know like a cat does with its prey?" Answered Shimbas.

The dragon seemed to make a huffing noise, like it was chuckling.

I poked Shimbas in the ribs, "do you think it understands us?"

Rearing up from where it had been crouching, it sat looking me in the eye.

"I was wondering when you'll pick up on that," it said.

Beside me Shimbas let off a few colourful curses.

The dragon let out a flame snort again, "language please human! You come into my home and swear like that, what would your mother ever say?"

"She'd be swearing right beside me! That's what she'd be saying!" Shimbas half cowered as he spat his reply back.

Tapping one claw on the ground, the dragon stared down at Shimbas, "and then I would eat her for her lack of manners."

Shimbas went into a full cower, trembling down in the dirt, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He wailed.

"Hmm, that's better. Now be quiet human and I might not eat you." The dragon's eyes seemed to reflect a cruel amusement as he watched Shimbas obey him.

Turning its head back and forth, it looked between me and Shimbas, "now what to do with you two interlopers."

"Please don't eat me!" Begged Shimbas, "I'm all skin and bones."

"You don't look very appetising for a human, I do admit," the dragon agreed.

Shimbas suddenly pointed at me, "Nyroi here is all beefed up with muscles! Eat him!"

"You little!" Shimbas ducked away from my punch.

A loud roar stopped our brawl before it had even begun.

"Muscles aren't particularly tasty either," the dragon looked a bit sad, "you never do get any fat adventurers do you? They are the tasty ones."

"So you'll let us go if we promise to get you some fat guy?" Shimbas took on his crafty persona.

"As tempting as that sounds," the dragon looked thoughtful, "what is there to stop you from just never coming back?"

I don't like crafty Shimbas, I've heard stories from others that I used to think was too much ale talking. Standing next to him now, I'm starting to think that the others might have been a little right.

"Keep Nyroi here," Shimbas grabbed me by the arm and shoved me in the direction of the dragon, "I'll go get someone for you to eat." He shrugged, "and if I don't come back, you eat Nyroi instead."

"You seem awfully eager for me to eat this human partner of yours," remarked the dragon.

"And I don't seem to remember agreeing to this deal!" I added on, heatedly.

"Psh, he's not my partner; he's my employee. I pay him to do whatever I want," Shimbas glared at me, "and that includes staying behind with dragons!"

The dragon started giving a rumbling laugh that shook dust down from the ceiling.

"You amuse me human," it said, "usually I don't listen to humans but your apparent lack of concern for anyone other than yourself makes you seem worse than an evil dragon."

It crouched down again, one clawed paw sneaking closer to me, "I accept your deal human. I'll keep this one as a pet while you go find me someone tasty."

"Hey," I tried dodging out of the way, but the paw snagged me up.

Shimbas gave a slight bow, "thank you mighty dragon for accepting, now I'll just let myself out."

"Be back within two moons," the dragon told him, as Shimbas slipped past to get back to the exit of the dungeon, "or this human becomes a snack."

"Oh indeed I will!" Shimbas's voice carried back towards us as he ran down and away.

His footsteps slowly faded to silence, leaving me, and the dragon holding me, alone in the dark dungeon.

"We both know that he's never coming back," the dragon broke the silence.

"I'm not stupid, though I must be for agreeing to come with him in the first place," I gritted my teeth angrily.

Now I know why Ryhar had refused to come with, maybe his story of being left behind by Shimbas to the guard's mercy wasn't all bitterness from him being the only one caught.

"Oh don't feel too bad for yourself," the dragon half grinned, "I don't actually eat humans, they give me indigestion."

I felt flabbergasted, "then why?"

"Why agree to keep a human?" The dragon turned to walk back to its lair, still holding me in its paw, "well, I did say that I'll keep you as a pet. I wasn't lying about that part."

My mind turned blank with horror. More than being eaten, the fact that I would be alive but never being able to leave to see my loved ones again, this was worse.

I tried struggling, but the dragon just gently chided me as it carried me away to my fate.

I would never forgive Shimbas, if I ever got the chance to escape; his days would be numbered.


	4. "I know you didn't ask for this."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Jimel, Fresnic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: Slight swearing, minimal violence

_**Day 4** _

_ **Prompt 4: "I know you didn't ask for this"** _

I felt Jimel's dark mood before I reached his cell, the guard outside was almost shaking from it. If hatred had a physical form, the jail would be covered in its miasma.

The guard saw me approaching and gave me a shaky salute, "sir!"

Giving him a quick nod, I passed and made my way to stand in front of cell, the bars being the only thing separating me from the man inside.

Alerted by my footsteps, Jimel was waiting for me. He glowered at me from beneath his unkempt hair, he'd been tossed in this cell a week ago, I had been told.

"So you've finally come," his voice was dry from lack of water.

"I only arrived back today," I saw that his wrists had been shackled to the wall with a heavy chain.

He snorted at my reply, turning his head away from me.

I wasn't sure what to say, what to do. Should I yell at him for his stupidity, or just listen quietly to his reasons. His reasons for trying to assassinate the king he swore to protect.

"Go away Fresnic," growled Jimel, breaking the silence that had built up. "I don't want you here."

"I can't," I looked away, "I can't because the King ordered me to come here and tell you..."

I broke off, how I can I tell Jimel what I had been ordered to do?

"Tell me what Fresnic?" Jimel's voice took on a darker tone, "you know I don't like playing guessing games."

"Why did you do it Jimel?" I hit the bars, letting a bit of my frustration out, "just tell me please so that I can understand!"

Jimel stood up, stalking towards the bars, the dragging chain preventing him from fully reaching them.

"You want to know why?" Jimel spat out, "because that bastard is not fit to be a king! He's bringing this kingdom to wrack and ruin with his bad planning."

"And you'll be better than him? Is that it?" I ground out.

"No," slowly Jimel shook his head, "I won't tell you who the big boss is, just know that I'm not the only one in this."

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" I thought Jimel trusted me, at least.

"So you wouldn't get caught up in this," he looked me up and down, "but seeing as I'm in here and you're standing there in front of me I guess I failed in more than one way, heh?"

I looked Jimel in his eyes, "The King ordered me here, to tell you..." I was dragging it out, not that it helped saying any easier, "I'm the one who will execute you tomorrow morning."

Jimel said nothing, just stared at me after my proclamation with no hint of what he was thinking on his face.

I carried on, "it's why I'm here. I wasn't supposed to be back for another month... then the orders came instructing me to report back immediately."

"I know you didn't ask for this." Jimel said softly.

"Ask for this?" I shouted, "Ask to execute my own brother? Of course I didn't ask for this your bloody stupid idiot!"

We stared at each other, I was too angry for words. Angry at everything; Jimel for doing this, the king for ordering me to do this... everything.

"For what it means," Jimel looked away, "I am sorry. I really had no intention for you to get caught up in this. If it all went to plan, you would have just heard the news of a new king where you were on the front lines."

"In the real world, plans seldom go perfectly!" I hissed back.

"I suppose this is the King's way of proving to himself that you aren't part of the conspiracy against him." Jimel clenched his fists, "another reason to prove that bastard has no sense of mercy that a king should have."

I gave a humorless laugh, "you tried to murder him, do you really think that he will have any mercy towards you?"

Jimel gave no answer, just shuffled back to where he had been sitting when I first I arrived.

"Go away Fresnic," he waved one manacled hand at me dismissively. "There's no point to you being here, now that you've said what you had to. We're just going to argue and seeing as I'm dying tomorrow I don't want my final night spent doing that."

I opened my mouth to retort, but what could I say, I knew he was right. I heaved a heavy breath and turned on my heel leaving his cell behind. The guard gave another salute as I passed him.

I paid him no heed, just glared at the stony floor as I stomped on. The passage to the outside was long and dark and I paid no attention to my surroundings until I bumped into a figure as I rounded a corner.

"What the?" I didn't have much time to see more than several cloaked figures scattered about before a heavy sack was thrown over my head, "Let me go!"

I struggled as felt different hands grab onto me, wrapping rope around me and tying me down.

Lying on the dirt, I heard the figures whispering above me. Probably deciding how to kill me. I tried not to show any fear, but I still shivered.

I felt one of the figures lean over towards me, "sorry about this," he whispered, "but we really don't want to be found down here right now."

Before I could even react to his words, something crashed down on my head knocking me senseless.

* * *

When I awoke in my bed, the maid attending to me told me what little she had known. Apparently I was only found several hours later during a shift change. A frantic inspection of the whole jail was held to only find that my brother was gone, and his guard dead.

Whoever was the big boss that Jimel had mentioned, had obviously been behind the jail break. They had killed the guard but spared me, did they know I was Jimel's brother or had the guard left them no choice? Either way, my brother was now a fugitive rebel. I'm not sure why the king hasn't accused me of helping with the plot, maybe he is having me watched so that I can lead them to wherever my brother is hiding. As if I knew that! All I can do know is wait and see what the future holds. I do know one thing for certain, whatever the future is, its sure to bring more heartbreak to my family. Stupid Jimel and his stupid fanatical allegiances!


	5. "I might just kiss you."

_ **Day 5** _

_ **Prompt 5: "I might just kiss you."** _

"I might just kiss you."

"And I wouldn't protest too much if you did," Mark laughed.

Evie punched him playfully on his shoulder, "don't get too ahead of yourself, I said _might_."

The table they sat at was covered in scattered notes and books, half forgotten coffee growing colder by the minute.

Evie shook her head, "I can't believe the solution was so simple – it was staring me right in the face!"

"Well, you know what they say about having a fresh pair eyes looking at a problem," Mark starting to gather up his notes, tidying the table.

Leaning back, Evie turned her nose up at their cold coffee, "as much as I like ice coffee, cold coffee isn't just the same," she looked at Mark, "how about I treat you to a proper cup as a thank you for your help?"

"Thanks," Mark shook his head, "but not today, I've got a meeting to get to, and I still got to get by my office to collect the paperwork."

"Ah okay," Evie started to tidy up as well, "drop me an email when you're available and we can meet up for lunch."

Standing up, Mark stretched. It seemed that they had been hunched over trying to work on Evie's problem for the better half of the morning. Following suit, Evie stood up as well and offered her hand for a goodbye handshake.

"I really do appreciate the help," she said, "my neck was on the line there. The higher ups were getting frustrated!"

Mark accepted her handshake, "think nothing of it, I'm here to help." He let go of Evie's hand, and picking up his notes, gave her a final goodbye and walked out of her office.

Evie waited till she could no longer hear his footsteps walking down the corridor, took a count of ten and stuck her head out the door to make sure he was gone. Seeing no one around, she closed the office door and sat down at her desk with a sigh.

"So did you get what we need?" She said to no one in particular.

A hidden door on the far side of the office slid open, and a tall man stepped out. He took Mark's vacated seat and placed down the papers he had in his hand.

"It was a small reading, but a reading nonetheless," the man replied.

Evie's face lit up with a huge smile, "so he has a power then? I thought he was too smart for his own good!"

The man picked up the solution to the problem that Mark had written down, "indeed, this problem has been flummoxing our best researchers, and some kid straight out of college solved it in a couple of hours."

"Not to mention this problem was out of his chosen career scope, he's never studied it before," Evie clicked her nails on the table excitedly, "he thought it was just some accounting problem, when has accounting ever used these equations?"

The tall man stood up, "I'm going to take these readings over to the big boss, you know how he hates waiting for the results."

"You do that," Evie watched as the man disappeared through the hidden door, leaving her alone in the office again.

Evie couldn't keep the smile from her face, she loved her job of testing unknowing candidates for their powers. Sometimes they didn't know about them and the shock on their faces was so delectable. The icing on the cake though, was when they were told who Evie's real boss was and then given the ultimatum; work for the evilest super villain or else. Really sometimes, she felt sorry for the kids, but then she remembered her bonus for every one she sent the Organisation's way. Money really did make her world turn around.


	6. "Yes, I'm aware. Your point?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings : Hostage situations

_ **Day 6** _

_ **Prompt 6: "Yes, I'm aware. Your point?"** _

A long continuous wail screeched through the room, it seemed to consume all other sound, reverberating around. Daetra had clamped his hands over his ears when the noise began, he had no idea how one small girl could make such a sound and for so long.

Because when Key woke up and discovered her circumstances almost twenty minutes ago, her tantrum started soon after. He was seriously regretting his team's decision to bring her to their hideout.

"Hey," he half shouted at another gang member, also in a similar position of trying to protect his hearing, "have they made the call yet?"

Noticing Daetra calling to him, he just shook his head and mouthed that he didn't hear what Daetra had just asked. Well, he might have been talking, but over the noise it just looked like he was mouthing his words instead.

Sighing, Daetra jabbed his chin at Key, then looked back with a raised eyebrow. At that the other man just shrugged unhappily.

Turning around, hands still over ears, Daetra retreated from the room leaving the other man to guard her. Closing the door behind him, the sound lessened slightly, and he risked uncovering his ears as he marched towards the leader's office. Situated far from the noise, he noted.

Not stopping to knock, Daetra walked through the open door to find the leader and one of the others staring incredulously at the phone in the leader's hand.

"Is the phone not working?" Daetra felt his heart start to drop.

Biero, his leader, looked up at him, "no..." he said slowly.

"Then, have you phoned the police with the ransom demand yet?" Daetra tried not to sound too eager, but Key was turning out to be more of an earful than he'd ever imagined.

"Um, well... yes," Biero replied, sounding a bit unsure.

"And?" Pressed Daetra, "what did they say?"

Kex, the other man shook his head, "well that's the thing, the officer who took the call started laughing and hung up."

"He hung up?" Daetra wasn't sure that he heared Kex right.

Biero looked disgruntled, "I didn't mince my words around either! I said to him, that we had Lieutenant Lunaverso's sister Key, and that he should do what we say unless he wanted her returned unharmed!"

Daetra looked as confused as the other two, "are you sure you phoned the right number?"

"Of course we're sure!" Kex snapped back.

Biero held up a hand, stopping Daetra from retorting back, "don't start argueing with each other now," he gave them each a hard look before continuing, "I'm going to wait an hour and then try again."

He put the phone down on his desk before pointing at Kex, "go find out the good Lieutenant's personal phone number, maybe we'll have more luck with the man in question."

Kex nodded and left the office to go do his task.

Looking at Daetra, Biero said to him, "and you get back to your guard duty."

Daetra looked unhappy but walked back to the screaming girl, taking the long route there. Opening the door, Daetra felt sorry for his fellow guard duty partner who had been stuck there the whole time.

"Go take a break and be back here in ten," he said, clapping the man on the shoulder.

Giving Daetra a grateful look, the man practically ran from the room slamming the door behind him.

Key was still giving off her long warbling wail. If she hadn't been tied up by her wrists and ankles, Daetra was sure that she'd be flailing them on the floor like a toddler in the middle of a tantrum.

"Urgh Key! Isn't your throat sore by now?" he sat on the floor beside her, there was a distinct lack of chairs in the room.

Key took one look at Daetra and continued her screech.

"If you would just be quiet Key, your stay here will pass more pleasantly," Daetra told her, thinking that it would be more pleasant for the gang.

Miraculously, Key fell silent.

Daetra was starting to think that wishes do come true when he noticed the dirty look coming from Key.

"What?" He asked, that look was cold enough to make him shiver.

"How dare you call me Key!" She hissed at him.

Starting to worry that maybe they had grabbed the wrong girl, the police's reaction to the call and now this, Daetra asked, "but isn't that your name?"

Huffing with indignant pride, Key pulled herself up from where she was lying, with some difficulty, so she could glare at him directly in the eyes, "my name," she said haughtily, "is Keyeastra _not_ Key!"

Daetra blinked slowly at her, "but isn't that what your brother calls you?"

Key gave a sniff, "yes well, he's my brother and _you_ are some lowlife thug and I won't stand to be called Key by a thug."

The two of them glared at each other for a moment.

Daetra shrugged, "well _Keyeastra_, I may be a thug but I'm not the one who's tied up and at the mercy of said thug right now, so I would keep my airs to myself if you knew what was good for you."

A beat passed before Key took a deep breath and begun a new wail.

Cursing, Daetra pressed his hands back to his ears again and seriously contemplated asking Biero if they could cut their losses and just let her go.

Determining that there was no way for Key to get out of her bonds, Daetra decided to just leave her screeching in the room alone and go guard the only exit outside of the room.

Leaning against the wall, staring at the door opposite from which Key's noise emanated, Kex appeared.

"Hey, Biero told me to relieve you, he's going to phone Lunaverso now that I got his number." Kex jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, "he wants you to be there for the phone call."

Daetra didn't question the order, just grateful to leave Kex to deal with the deafening sound that he had had to endure. He almost ran to Biero's office.

"You called for me boss?" He said as he entered.

"Yes," Biero handed him the phone, "you sound the scariest over the phone, so you call Lieutenant Lunaverso."

"I sound scary?" Daetra didn't think he sounded scary.

"Just phone him!" Biero ordered.

Picking up the phone, Daetra dialed the number Biero passed him on a piece of paper, making sure that the call was on speaker phone.

After a few rings, it was answered, "yes?" a gruff voice inquired.

"Lunaverso, we have your sister!" Daetra snarled into the phone receiver.

"Yes, I'm aware. Your point?" Came back the voice, not sounding very worried.

"Uh..." Daetra looked at Biero in confusion, "don't you want her back?"

"Actually, I'm quite enjoying the peace and quiet from her entitled whining." Lunaverso replied.

Biero took over, "but what would your colleagues say if they found out you were leaving your little sister to the horrors of a ruthless gang!"

Lunaverso actually chuckled, "they're also quite happy with her not around, she usually comes in and bothers everyone while we're working." A pause, "also I wouldn't say you are as ruthless as you say you are. You haven't killed her yet, and I can faintly hear her making her 'I'm-not-getting-my-way' scream over the phone. A ruthless gang would have made her shut-up a long time ago."

"What's to say we won't hurt her now?" Daetra said, "she is getting really annoying!"

Lunaverso's sigh came over the phone, "I blame my parents, they over spoiled her with everything. Fine, I suppose I won't hear the end of it from mother if I don't do something so that her precious little daughter gets home soon."

"So you'll do what we demand?" Biero couldn't keep the eagerness out of his voice, "because you have been getting in our way lately with your investigations!"

"No," Lunaverso said flatly.

"No?" Both Daetra and Biero said together sounding shocked.

"I said I'd do something," said Lunaverso, "not that I'd do your demands. I'm still a police officer after all."

"Then what?" Snapped Biero angrily.

There was silence for a minute, the phone line crackling, then; "how about a trade?"

"A trade, what do you mean?" Daetra asked.

"Like I said; I'm quite enjoying the peace and quiet from Key. Not being nagged every five minutes from her wanting something new and then having a tantrum if I don't bow to her entitlement." Lunaverso told them, "so how about a trade-off, me – a high ranked and thorn in the side police officer in exchange for my extremely loud sister Key?"

"What?" Daetra exclaimed incredulously.

Biero took a few moments to find his words, "you want to be our hostage...?"

"Yes," Lunaverso didn't mince words. "Let Key go, she can go screech at home, and I'll come be your hostage for however long you want. It'll be a nice break from my sister."

"Being a hostage will be a break?" Biero shrugged, "fine with me, you're more valuable than Key anyway."

"But more dangerous!" Daetra hissed at him.

Hearing him over the speaker phone, Lunaverso added in, "I may be more dangerous – but I'm a lot quieter."

Kex burst into the office then, "I can't take it anymore! Can we please just get rid of that brat or something!"

"Well, I'll leave you with the decision," Lunaverso interjected, "you have my number when you make up your minds."

The call ended as Lunaverso hung up.

"What decision?" Kex asked, perplexed, "weren't we the ones making the demands?"

Biero leaned back in his chair, "go tell Key that we're letting her go."

Daetra and Kex both heaved a sigh of relief.

Picking up the phone, Biero dialed Lunaverso again, as Daetra and Kex returned to Key.

Lunaverso picked up on the first ring, "well that didn't take long for you to make up your minds!"

Biero just smiled, as he laid out his demands on how the exchange to take place.

Give up a annoying girl for something better, how could he not be happy?


	7. "No, and that's final."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings : Captivity, organ trafficking (sort of), murder threats, one swear word.

_ **Day 7** _

_ **Prompt 7: "No, and that's final."** _

It must be nice to be able to fly through the sky, to open your wings wide and just _soar_. Fate was against me though, I was not one of the chosen. I would never have wings of my own.

I was raised on the dirt and that is where I'll stay till I die due to some crime an ancestor committed long ago. So long ago no one can remember what it was, it must have been awful enough, however, to warrant all descendants to be cursed wingless.

My older brother, Dusken, had dragged me away from our usual path to school this morning, he'd been skywatching last night and I knew he had come up with some scheme or another. Watching others fly always seem to set him off.

I didn't protest too much as he lead me off until we came to the sketchy part of town that our father always forbade us going to by ourselves.

I dug my heels in as he tried to pull me into some derelict warehouse with scary looking men idling around it.

"Oh come on!" Dusken tugged at my hand, tugging me roughly after him, "don't be such a baby!"

I shook my head, "dad will have our hide if we don't leave now."

"He'll only have our hide if he knows we were here," he gave my wrist a tight squeeze, giving me a silent threat, "I'm not going to tell him. Are you?"

Knowing my answer even if I didn't say it aloud, Dusken succeeded in taking me inside the building.

I wanted to turn tail and run as soon as we had entered. Inside was much busier, with cruel looking adults gathered in batches standing around different tables. They were loud and coarse as they seemed to argue and barter with each other, creating a headache inducing din. A fetid smoke left a haze in the air, coming from those who were smoking. And a large majority were.

"What is this place?" I wished Dusken would just turn around, but he was moving towards a set destination.

Dusken gave me no answer but finally came to a stop. It was a table set in a quiet and dark corner near the back of the warehouse. A tall rough looking man was behind it, and he smiled when he saw my brother appear.

"Dusken my boy, you came!" He greeted, his voice sounded as rough as he looked. He saw me trying to hide behind my brother, "who's this little girl?"

Pushing me out from behind him, Dusken proudly introduced me, "Girren, this is my little sister Merlma. Remember, I told you about her last time?"

I gave Dusken a confused look, what was going on here? He had come here before? He had talked about me to strange men?

Girren gave a throaty laugh, "aye I remember now." He looked me over, "just she's a lot better looking than you. Can barely see the resemblance."

Dusken seemed to fidget impatiently beside me, "are they ready? Can we see?"

Girren shook his finger at Dusken, as if telling him off for his restlessness, "its in the back rooms," he said, "being out here vexes it too much."

I wanted answers as to what was going on here, but before I could voice my questions Dusken had yanked me along again. Half running to keep up with Girren's long strides as he lead the way back to whatever _it _was.

The back rooms were through a warren maze of passages, if Girren wasn't leading the way we would have been lost. By the time we got to where we were headed, it was so far back from the main part of the warehouse all I could hear was a distant murmuring from that direction.

In the middle of the room was a shrouded object, as our footsteps neared it, a nervous fluttering sound seemed to emit from it.

I didn't want to approach it, I stopped hesitantly in the doorway, shaking my head at Dusken when he indicated for me to join him and Girren by the object.

He gave a sigh at my cowardice and looked forward as Girren grabbed a handful of the dark cloth covering the object.

"Now don't be scared when I pull off the cloth," Girren warned, "its jittery and might screech a bit if it sees strangers."

I didn't know what I was expecting when the cloth was pulled off with a flourish, but seeing two winged children about my age in a giant gilded bird cage was _not _on the top of my list.

They cowered against the far side of the cage, blinking their eyes at the sudden bright light assailing them. Dusken awestruck, reached out an arm to try and stroke one of the wings closest to him.

The child it was attached to shrieked and batted his hand away.

"What is this?" I felt like crying, I didn't know if I was more shocked or angry in my disgust at the sight before me, "why have you caged them like this?"

Dusken turned to me, he was smiling so brightly that I wanted to hit him, "its something special Merlma – it's for us to have wings!"

"What?" What was he babbling about.

Girren gave me a smirk, "your brother here wants to fly, he's been working as a courier for the black market here for over three years now to afford this."

"He can't," I felt tears of frustration forming, "it's impossible!"

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong," Girren gave a conspiratorial wink, "you see we flightless ones have managed to come up with a way of stealing wings and transposing them to ourselves."

He gave a theatrical sigh, "the only problem is that after the wings get cut off they die, so it's all kept very hush hush here at the black markets. Those in power don't like it done. They say it's inhumane to do it."

"That's because it is!" I shouted at him.

"Merlma," Dusken laid a calming hand on my shoulder, "I've seen you watch them fly, just like I do. This is our chance to get what we were denied!"

I pushed him away, "and what would mother say? If she knew what you did to get those wings?"

Dusken glared back at me, bringing up our late mother was always a sore spot to him.

"Don't mention her, this isn't about her," he muttered angrily before stalking back to the cage.

Girren laid a hand on the bars of the cage, and looked back at me, "so I know what Dusken's final answer will be, but what about you Merlma? Will you accept these wings and leave the dirt behind, or will you refuse your brother's gift?"

It's true, I do wish to fly. But, I looked at the faces of the winged children huddled together and watching their fate being discussed with fear in their eyes. Like they were no more than cattle off to the slaughter house.

What about their family, were they being searched for frantically right now by anxious parents who would never learn their cruel end?

I looked Girren in the eyes, "no."

"Merlma, please!" Dusken begged, "I want you to fly with me. Leave father and his stupid rules behind, find a new life for ourselves."

"No, and that's final." I couldn't ruin the life of another to further myself, and I can't believe that my own brother would do such a thing himself.

"Such a pity," Girren shook his head sadly, "you might think you are saving of their lives, but both will die anyway. Can't have our secret getting out after all."

"You're a sick _sick _monster!" I truly believe he was enjoying the pain and fear he was causing.

Caught up in this, I barely heard the noise coming from the warehouse change its octaves.

"Dusken, when you're ready we'll prepare for the operation," Girren looked from my brother to me, "but I'm afraid your sister will have to stay in a nice safe room while we do it. We can't have her running off by herself, who knows what evil miscreants she might run in to while we are busy."

By the leer he gave me, I was sure that I would be safer away from him. There was no way that he was going to let me leave with what I knew and my objections towards his business.

I'm sure that while my brother will be getting his ill gotten wings attached, I'll be joining the winged children in the afterlife.

And I was just as determined to not let that happen either.

Girren was walking up to me nonchalantly, and Dusken had gone back to staring fervently at the wings he would soon have, I turned to run.

I heard Girren curse and start after me, he had the advantage of longer legs and knowing his way around but I had to try, I didn't want to die in some warehouse because my brother was a monumental bag of envious shit.

It didn't take long for Girren's hand to snatch my shoulder in a tight grip.

"You stupid little girl," he shook me roughly, "you could have had wings for nothing, but you had to be all high and mighty didn't you!"

My heart quickened as he pulled a knife from his belt and shoved me painfully against the wall.

He gave a cold laugh and playfully danced the knife before my eyes, slowly teasing my last moments on the dirt for his own amusement. He most definitely is a sick monster.

Having eyes only for the knife, I hardly noticed the movement in my peripheral vision before Girren was slammed off me.

Choking back tears as I turned to see two winged figures wrestling Girren on the floor, I jumped as a hand landed on my shoulder from behind. Spinning around I was face to face with a grim looking no winged policeman.

"Are you alright miss?" Despite his looks he sounded kind.

I honestly didn't know, and I think the policeman saw it in my eyes.

"It's okay now miss," he said, before the hand on my shoulder tightened its grip, "you haven't seen any winged children have you?"

I shakily pointed down the passage from where I had fled the room. I didn't trust myself to speak just yet.

Letting go of my shoulder, the policeman stood up, "this black marker has been under suspicion for some time," he seemed to think twice before asking me, "were they alright, did they still... did they still have their wings?"

I nodded, knowing that they nearly did lose their wings.

"Thank goodness," the policeman offered me his hand, "lets get you out of here while the rest clean up."

Only then did I notice there more police in the passage besides the two winged ones who had finished their fight with Girren, he was sitting half senseless cuffed against the wall.

Taking the policeman's hand, he led me out while the others went on to find the children... and my brother.

Somehow the policeman had managed to procure a blanket for me, and we watched as those arrested were led out to the waiting vans. He didn't say anything yet, but I knew that sooner or later he would be asking me why I was in that warehouse.

The hardest part for me me, would not be telling him about my brother's actions, but having to tell my father what had happened.

That Dusken had thrown his life away for greed, that he had nearly caused the death of two innocent winged children, and of his sister as well.

I didn't want to see my father's heart break tonight. Tough with his rules he might be, he loved us with all his heart.


	8. "Can you stay?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Ryhar, Shimbas, Nyroi

_ **Day 8** _

_ **Prompt 8: "Can you stay?"** _

Another day of uneventful guard duty, another day of helping Elaza find his wand. Today it was tucked behind his ear. Took him a few hours of fretting before he called me to come help search.

Now? Now I was free until the morning, and I was planning on spending it at tavern. There was a new bar maid and she'd been giving me an extra helping of food whenever I came by.

Caught up in my daydreams of a delicious roast dinner, I didn't notice at first someone calling me from behind. Not until they grabbed my arm from behind.

Expecting an audacious thief, I spun round at the ready, only to be faced with a beautiful woman instead.

"Ryhar?" She asked.

I nodded dumbly.

The woman suddenly looked hopeful, "have you seen my brother around?"

"Uh, who's your brother?" Beautiful she may be, but I had no idea who she was.

"Nyroi you idiot!" She put her hands on her hips angrily, "don't you recognise me? Rotiart?"

Right, Nyroi had a younger sister... Though to be fair to me, last time I saw her was when Nyroi and I ran away when we were little idiots looking for adventure and Rotiart was some crybaby pig-tailed girl who annoyed us.

"No," I told her, because honestly I hadn't seen Nyroi for some months now.

Rotiart bit her bottom lip looking worried, "can you stay?" She asked, "just for a little while Ryhar and help me search for him?"

"Of course," Nyroi was one of my oldest friends, we grew up together being idiots while we learned to be mercenaries. "Where did you see him last?"

She shook her head, "I didn't see him, but over at the Merc Guild someone said they saw him leaving on a job with Shimbas." Rotiart wrung her hands together, "but they said that was over a month ago!"

Shimbas! I should've known. A month ago was when I turned him down with his job offer. He must of gone to Nyroi afterwards. As much as I like Nyroi, he's a gullible idiot sometimes.

I patted Rotiart awkwardly on the shoulder, I wasn't good at this comforting thing, "it's okay," I said, "let me take you back to Elaza's place. You can wait there while I go and find Shimbas."

And wring his scrawny little neck if he's done anything to Nyroi.

"Shimbas says he doesn't know where he is," Rotiart's voice trembled, "I already asked him, as soon as I was told he saw Nyroi last. But he said that they returned a week after heading out and he hasn't seen Nyroi since!"

Somehow I didn't believe Shimbas.

"Come," I took Rotiart's hand, "it's getting dark out here, and maybe Elaza knows a tracking spell or something?"

She let me lead her back the way I came, to Elaza's tower. Truthfully, I didn't want her out here asking questions by herself in case Shimbas did to something to Nyroi. That slimy snake might do anything if it'll keep him out of the town guard's notice. I could handle Shimbas, but Rotiart looked like a delicate rose.

"I actually came here to see Elaza," Rotiart said softly as we walked down the darkening streets, "but mother asked me to look up Nyroi seeing as we haven't seen him since both of ran off. If Nyroi hadn't sent letters back home we might have never had known where the two of you were."

If I wasn't already feeling guilty about Nyroi getting mixed up with Shimbas, I definitely was now!

I scratched the back of my head nervously, "well, we were young boys and the village had no prospects..." I trailed off with my excuses as Rotiart just looked at me coldly.

"So," I tried a different approach and get her mind off her missing brother, "why were you coming to see old man Elaza?"

Rotiart gave a small pride smile, "he wrote to the academy I was at, asking for an apprentice. The tutors there decided to send me! Said I was a one of their most gifted students."

"You're a witch?" I just barely stopped myself from shouting that.

Old man Elaza is one thing, he's so old he barely bothers to do his hocus pocus thing. But, Rotiart? She'll be young and powerful, and to be honest – magic kind of freaked me out. You can't hit a lightning bolt with sword unless you were very unlucky and crazy.

"I prefer the term sorceress Ryhar," Rotiart huffed, then giggled excitedly, "my specialty is electricity!"

Oh great... lightning bolts.

We'd had reached the tower by now, at least the conversation had distracted her a little from her worries. I unlocked the gate, Elaza's unseen defenses recognised me and let me lead Rotiart through the fenced boundary.

I nodded towards the heavy door at the entrance way, "you go in and introduce yourself. I'll go and ask Shimbas if he remembers anything differently to what he told you earlier."

"By myself?" Rotiart suddenly looked nervous.

"Yeah," I smiled at here, "don't worry. I left him dozing in the library. Just knock on the door or otherwise he might chuck a book at you if you sneak up on him and give him a fright."

"A book? Why not a spell?" Rotiart asked, tilting her head quizzically.

"Trust me, those books are heavy and hurt." I had gotten several bruises before I learned to knock.

Leaving Rotiart to enter the tower by herself, I left locking the gate behind me.

I needed to find a certain man and get some straight answers.

Shimbas better start praying to whatever gods he had, if I found out he had anything to do with Nyroi's disappearance.


	9. "There is a certain taste to it."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dragon Age Inquistion

**_Prompt 9: “There is a certain taste to it.”_**

** _Fandom: Dragon Age Inquisition_ **

* * *

“There is a certain taste to it.” Iron Bull said, a moment after he had taken the first sip.

“Yeah! An elfy taste!” Sera snort sniggered.

“That’s because it _is_ an Elvhen recipe Sera!” Solas frowned at her, disappointed etched on his face.

Lavellan sighed. 

The four of them were hunkered down in one of Crestwood’s caves, out of the cold and rain that hadn’t seemed to let up since they arrived last night.

Lavellan wasn’t sure who it started with, but by morning both Sera and Iron Bull had the sniffles, and she wasn’t feeling too good either. Maybe they shouldn’t have had that snowball fight on the way out of Skyhold when they left, the constant rain in this area hadn’t helped either.

It was after Iron Bull let out a huge sneeze that Sera got the idea of a new prank, of creating Qunari snot grenades to lob at her next poncy noble targets that her ‘friends’ told her about. The others protested, even Iron Bull looked queasy of the idea.

Solas had then put his foot down, having tolerated enough of the sniffing and sniveling all day, and told them to find a cave for the night while he went to collect some ingredients.

He returned several hours later, and created this… broth… for everyone to drink. Despite the amount of Elfroot Lavellan had seen him toss into the pot, it looked… brown.

Iron Bull was the first one to be brave enough to try it, leading to the current squabble.

“Just drink it,” Solas said, “it’ll clear up any sickness you have, and fortify you against it while we are here.”

He took a hearty mouthful from his own bowl, Iron Bull shrugged and did the same while Sera gave hers a suspicious look.

“Not drinking it, looks like horse piss,” she nudged her bowl away, before wiping her nose on her sleeve.

Solas began to open his mouth to argue back, and Lavellan decided to stall it as her head was starting to pound, laid a hand on his arm and shook her head at him when he glanced back at her.

She looked at Sera, “I’ll make you a deal Sera, if I drink this then you drink it too… and I’ll help you prank the others when we get back to Skyhold.”

“Oh this should be good,” Iron Bull chuckled before it turned into a cough. He elbowed Sera between wheezes, “you said the Inquisitor here was being too boring of late the other day, didn’t you?”

Sera pursed her lips, glaring at the bowl by her before looking up at Lavellan, “fine, you drink first though, ain’t drinking it if you can’t swallow it.”

Lavellan gave a small smile of victory and picked up her bowl. Lifting it to her lips, she took a mouthful.

Like Iron Bull said, it had a certain taste to it.

To her, it was strangely familiar but still different. It reminded her of the broth that her Keeper had made for those who were feeling sickly. The taste gave her a pang of homesickness that she pushed down.

Obviously, there must have been an original recipe, and over the years it got changed depending on who made it, her clan had their version and Solas had learned his from whatever clan he had come from. She was pretty sure that had Sera been raised by her Elvhen parents in an alienage, this taste would be familiar to her as well.

“Well?” Sera gave her an impatient look, “Wot’s it taste like?”

“It tastes like what my Keeper used to make us,” Lavellan told her, “but much better to be honest.”

“Better, how?” Solas asked, looking curious.

“To be honest,” Lavellen took another sip, “the Keeper’s version is purely medicinal and tastes so.”

She gave a laugh, “actually, we had a name for it that we called it whenever the Keeper wasn’t around.”

“What was it?” Iron Bull asked, he had finished his bowl and set it aside.

“We usually called it by an Elvhen name, but I’ll translate it literally for you. We called it Dread Wolf’s Puke, because that’s what it looked and tasted like to us!” Lavellen giggled.

“What?” Solas eyes opened wide, before he turned his disappointed look at her.

“Yeah, what he said,” Sera chimed in too, “if this stuff tastes that bad the deal’s off.”

Lavellan felt bad, “oh no Solas, Sera. This here tastes wonderful, its got the underlying medicinal taste of the Keeper’s version but whatever you added to it Solas, makes it so much more flavorful!”

“Oh well,” Solas sniffed, “as long as it isn’t the _Dread Wolf’s Puke_ then!”

“It was just a name us young ones called it, I’m sure you would agree with the name if you had been forced to drink it Solas!”

For some reason, it felt like his disappointed look intensified. Not being able to bear it, Lavellan turned to Sera.

“Come on,” she told her, “a deal is a deal, drink up!”

“Urgh fine,” Sera wrinkled her nose before trying a tiny sip. One tiny sip turned into a greedy mouthful.

Sera dropped her empty bowl, “that _was_ flavorful.” She playfully poked Solas in the arm, “you could call it Dread Wolf’s Treat, your version!”

“I think not!” Solas brushed her off tetchily.

Lavellan finished off her broth as well, “I think we should turn in for the night. We still need to drain the lake tomorrow.”

It would also stop Sera and Solas sniping at each other.

Yawning, Iron Bull agreed. Solas said he’d take the first watch.

Gradually the party fell asleep amidst Iron Bull’s heaving snores.

“_Dread Wolf’s Puke_ indeed,” Solas griped as he settled to watch for intruders.


	10. "Look, I can't explain it, you'll have to trust me."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linked to Day 5

** _Day 10_ **

** _Prompt 10: "Look, I can't explain it, you'll have to trust me."_ **

* * *

Mark stepped off the bus into the blazing sun. He'd already rolled up his sleeves and removed his tie while on the bus, but standing in the heat, it didn't feel like it had done anything.

He didn't even want to be here, and he still had a ten – fifteen walk to get to his final destination.

But Evie had persisted. She had pretty much sent him daily emails inquiring when he was available for her to take him for that thank you coffee, despite the fact the he had told her that he would tell her when he was free. When he had finally given a yes, she had insisted on some out of the way coffee shop he had never heard of.

Mark had tried to suggest a place closer to the office, but no; Evie said this place's coffee was to die for and that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't go...

Strange, but okay.

Mark had looked up the place online and saw that most of the nearby businesses seemed to closed down around it. The closest bus stop wasn't even nearby.

Mark wiped the sweat from his brow, no use dawdling, thinking about it. The sooner he started walking, the sooner he would be out of the sun. He just hoped that the place had air con.

Putting his hands in his pockets he started off, thoughts straying to the woman who invited him on (as she said it) a 'coffee date'.

Sure, Evie was not bad to look at and she certainly flirted with him but there was just something... strange about her.

Taking for instance that problem she asked for help on, that lead to this coffee excursion. She had tried to pass off a complex formula as a simple accounting problem! He hadn't studied accounting in university, but that didn't mean he didn't know the difference. What was up with that formula anyway? It looked pretty nasty, so while he had solved the problem, he had managed it to make it less deadly than it was originally set out to be. Why did Evie have such a weird formula and need to solve it?

Then there was the near desperate daily near nagging asking him to join her for coffee.

He only agreed to get her to stop.

Head in the clouds, Mark was jolted from his thoughts as a pair of arms encircled him from behind and lifted him off his feet into the air.

Not as in a few centimeters feet dangling off the ground air, but way up skyscraper roof height.

Mark dug his fingers into the arms around his chest, watching as everything below suddenly get toy sized, “what the hell? You're flying! I'm flying?” He babbled confused.

“Listen, I can't explain it, you'll have to trust me,” the man holding him said.

“Trust you?” Mark struggled, “no way! Let me go!”

“Stop struggling, that's what I'm trying _not_ to do!” Mark's captor tightened his grip, “at least not when we are so high up.”

Mark didn't care _, _ in his panicking state. He managed to drive a sharp elbow into the man's gut.

Giving a pained grunt, the man drifted to a nearby rooftop and ceremoniously dropped Mark onto it. 

Picking himself up from where he fell, Mark turned on his hands and knees to get a look at the man who had grabbed him. Getting an eyeful of a blue and silver spandex clad man only added to Mark's confusion, near bordering hysteria.

The man drifted down to land at Mark's feet, who promptly scrabbled away backwards from him.

“Who are you?” Mark pointed a shaky finger at the man, “why'd you grab me?”

The man closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand as if he had a headache. The other he held up as id to stave off Mark's protests.

“Please calm down,” he said, opening his eyes to look at Mark. “If you get hysterical, it'll just waste time.”

“Don't tell me not to get hysterical!” Mark snapped at him, “you just kidnapped me!”

Mark's outburst made him pause, he  _had _ just been kidnapped... by some guy who could fly. The realisation of it made him start shaking with fear and he buried his face in his hands.

“What do you want with me?” Mark asked, trying to control his rising panic.

“You may not believe it now, but I am trying to save you,” the man replied, gently.

Mark just felt even more confused, his brain settled on one thing, “but how can you fly?”

Anything, he thought, anything to not focus on what was happening to him.

“I already told you, I can't explain it,” the man shifted, walking closer to Mark. “I just can.”

Mark leaned away from him, not looking at him.

“I know you're not sure about what is going on,” the man reached down and out a hand on Mark's shoulder, “but believe me when I say I am one of the good guys. You can trust me.”

The man then moved his hand from Mark's shoulder and gripped his arm instead, pulling him up.

“We need to get going before they realise that you aren't coming.”

Mark shook his head, “I don't understand, what do you want with me?”

“We'll explain everything once the two of us get to the base,” the man simply said before taking off with Mark again.

As they flew, Mark thought back to what the man had said. That he said “ _we_ ”, meaning that there were more of them wherever Mark was being taken to.

They flew out of the city and after what seemed like ages, arrived at a building situated in the middle of nowhere.

Mark's landing was gentler this time, with the man setting him down lightly. 

They had flown through an opening in the roof and were now standing in some strange reception room. Above them, the opening slowly closed, leaving Mark trapped.

Before Mark could ask where he was, a door opened and a group of people rushed in. They were also wearing spandex suits, but of differing colours.

The man leading the group, who was wearing lime green, stopped in front of Mark and gave him an appraising look before turning to the flying man.

“You found him!” Lime green man said happily, as he clapped the flying man on the back in praise.

“It was touch and go,” the flying man told him ruefully, “he was almost there before I got to him!”

Unable to take it any longer, Mark snapped.

“Will someone please tell me why you have abducted me?” He gave them all a dirty look, fear slowly turning to anger at the injustice of it all.

Lime green man looked at the flying man, eyebrow raised, “he doesn't know?”

Flying man shrugged, “I'm not good with explanations, you know that.”

The lime green man's eye twitched, “now we look like the bad guys! Did you just swoop down and grab him?”

“Er yeah,” Flying man grinned, “it was either that or watch him get grabbed by the real bad guys!”

“Go, just go!” Lime green man pointed a finger towards the door. “Go do something useful while I clear up this misunderstanding!”

Giving another shrug, flying man left.

The lime green man turned back to Mark, who was feeling more confused than he was before, and said, “I'm really sorry about how this happened.”

He snapped his fingers at the others who were watching them, “go get some food for Mark here.”

Mark watched them leaving, fear rising again as  _they knew his name_ !

This wasn't a random snatch and grab by some psychos, he was so going to be murdered before this night was over.

“Over here,” lime green man lead him over to some sofas that were in a corner of the room, and indicated for him to sit.

Mark sat down gingerly, watching the other man do so as well. 

“You must be really confused,” lime green man glanced at Mark's face, “and scared. I would be too in your shoes after what you have just been through.”

Mark nodded slowly, wondering how he was going to get out of this. They weren't even wearing masks... he had seen their faces!

The lime green man continued, “well firstly, I'm Esor and the charming moronic idiot who grabbed you is Lidoffad. You'll meet the others later.”

Mark gulped, now he knew their names!

Esor scratched at his chin, wondering how to explain the next.

He clasped his hands together, resting them on a knee of his crossed legs, and decided to just come out straight with it and said, “Mark, you have a special power and the bad guys found out. That's why you are here.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Mark kept his on his feet. Not really having heard what Esor had said.

“Uh, no... see we're actually the good guys despite, you know, the whole kidnapping thing.”

A girl wearing purple appeared out making Mark jump. She gave him a smile before placing a tray of sandwiches on a nearby table, then disappeared like she came.

Ignoring the interruption, like a girl hadn't just popped in and out of thin air, Esor carried on, “that woman you were going to meet is actually a recruiter for the real bad guys.”

“What... Evie?” Strange as she may be, Mark couldn't imagine her as a cackling evil villainess. 

“She tested you a while ago, luckily we were able to intercept her plan this time.” Esor said, “we suspect she's been behind a number of disappearances of new young powers like yourself. That is why we were watching her.”

Mark felt a headache coming on, trying to make sense of everything.

“I don't have any powers,” he spoke up, “this is all one big mistake.”

“Really?” Esor picked up a piece of paper that had been brought in with the sandwiches on the tray, “what does this say then?”

Mark glanced at the paper, not sure what it had to do with anything, “Esor has a crush on Redneval?”

“Yes! Wait what?” Esor turned the paper around to glare at the words, “Lidoffad changed the message, that idiot!”

“What does this have to do with me having powers?”

Esor looked back at Mark, “oh right, you see it's actually written in a complex code that you deciphered in seconds!”

“No it's not,” Mark grabbed the paper and looked at it again. 

He didn't want to admit it, but if he squinted his eyes he could just sort of see the code laid out. Like one of those autosterogram pictures.

“Evie works for a villain who forces those with powers to work for him,” Esor watched him bend the paper in different directions trying to figure out the secret, “no doubt tonight no one would have ever seen you again if you had kept your appointment with her.”

Mark scrunched up the paper, suddenly angry, “and what about you? Did you really bring me here for safety or are you also planning on using me too? All I have is your side of the story, for all I know Evie is the good guy and you're trying to trick me!”

“The way you were brought here doesn't lend to our credibility,” Esor admitted, “but I can promise you that we are most definitely the ones on the right side of the law.”

“If you are the good guys, are you going to let me go home?” Mark squeezed the ball of paper, agitated.

Esor shook his head slowly, “not just yet, we have to make sure Evie can't find you and making a new identity will take some time.”

“A new identity?” Mark threw the paper ball at Esor who ducked, “who says I want a new identity? What about my friends, what about everything I have built up in my life?”

“For their sakes,” Esor said calmly, “it will be better for them to never see you again. That is how the Organisation controls those it takes, by threatening family and friends.”

Mark felt hot tears forming in the corner of his eyes, everything that he knew was going to get destroyed because some people believed he had  _super powers_ ?

“I never asked for this, just let me go please!” Mark looked at Esor, pleading with his eyes, “I won't tell anyone about you, they wouldn't believe me anyway! I just want to go home!”

“I'm sorry Mark,” Esor looked away from Mark's stare, “but you'll never be safe from the Organisation if we just let you go home now.”

Esor stood up, “come on Mark, I'll get Redneval to show you to your room. She's the one who brought the sandwiches earlier.” 

Mark ignored him. He just wanted the ground to swallow him, to wake up from this nightmare. These people keep telling him that this Organisation is bad, but they're the ones who took him and won't let him go. He had never heard of this Organisation, nor of people having powers before and if he hadn't been flown here he wouldn't believe that powers existed either.

Esor sighed, Mark was going to take a while to adjust. He had no choice now that Evie had sussed him out. 

Sooner or later he will understand that they were helping him, and when he is ready they will also help him understand how to use his powers to help others like they do. 

Better them than the Organisation who would brainwash him if he didn't concede to their orders.


	11. "It's not always like this."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GI: Joe : Sigma 6

** _Day 11_ **

**_Prompt 11: "It's not always like this."_ **

* * *

A spray of shurikans sped through the air, slicing into the ground and narrowly missing the feet of those observing the fight. The two ninja's continued their battle, oblivious to their audience.

“So, what was that you were saying earlier?” The one watcher asked the other dryly.

“It's not always like this!” Kamakura replied, pointing wildly at Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow trying to kill each other, “this is just a coincidence!”

“Right...” Hi-Tech drawled out slowly, “sure, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes never always have a death match during a mission.”

“I'm telling you, this has to be at least a few missions where sensei and Storm Shadow haven't fought.”

“When you remember when they were, be sure to tell me,” grinned Hi-Tech.

Kamakura groaned, it was just his luck to tell the others that there was no way Storm Shadow would turn up on this mission.

Seriously, even this mission had nothing to do with Cobra!

But no! How did Storm Shadow do it? Yes, they were ninjas but they weren't omnipotent!

Kamakura shook off his melancholy and pulled Hi-Tech out of the way of another shurikan barrage.

“We better get on with the mission,” Hi-Tech jerked a thumb at the fighting ninja, “it doesn't look like this is going to end anytime soon.”

Shaking his head, Kamakura followed Hi-Tech through the caves towards their objective.

Leaving behind Snake Eyes to keep the Cobra ninja occupied.

“You don't think Storm Shadow has a tracker on sensei, do you?” Kamakura asked as he walked behind.

“Please do give me some credit,” Hi-Tech sighed, “there's no way any bugs or trackers will get through my defenses.”

“Yeah...” Kamakura trailed off.

Back to square one with the hypotheses. Maybe Jinx can come up with some ideas, he'll ask her once they got back to base.

She could know of some secret Arashikage technique that he hadn't learnt yet.

Yes! That must be it!

If it wasn't, Kamakura shook his head silently musing, then Storm Shadow had some creepy stalker powers.

The sound of clashing katanas grew fainter as they moved slowly away from the fight.

Kamakura wasn't too worried about leaving his sensei alone, Snake Eyes always made it back to base. No matter how many times Storm Shadow leaped out of the shadows at him.


	12. "What if I don't see it?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mass Effect

** _Day 2_ **

** _Prompt 12: "What if I don't see it?"_ **

* * *

“What?” The scientist stared back at her.

“I said,” Shepard gave him her best winning smile, “what if I don't see it?”

“I gave you the coordinates!” The scientist was starting to look angry.

What was his name again? He had told her when she first arrived at this outpost, she should have remembered it but there was so much to do and remember right now trying to save the galaxy.

“You told us its by the 142nd pointy rock,” Garrus interjected helpfully, “there are a lot of pointy rocks out there.”

This scientist wanted her to go and collect some device he had left out to gather data. Honestly, if she didn't already have business on this planet, she'd just leave him to collect his own damn equipment.

“You'll know its the right pointy rock because of all the Geth swarming it!” The scientist half snarled, “that's why I can't collect it myself!”

Tali crossed her arms, “are you telling us Geth are attracted to it? And you want us to go bring it back to this outpost?”

“That doesn't sound like a good idea,” Kaiden added, frowning at the scientist. “Too many civilians are here if the Geth attack.”

“Why can't we just destroy it?” Shepard mused, half to herself.

“Destroy it? Do you know how many years of research I put into this project?”

“Don't know, don't care,” Garrus glared back at him.

“Look,” the scientist began pacing in front of them, “the data collected will have untold benefits in the years to come. It is very important that I get it back... and in one piece!”

He stopped pacing and stared at Shepard, “my benefactor will also pay handsomely if you bring it back to me.”

Shepard shrugged, “its on my way, well I think it is... there _are_ pointy rocks in that direction.”

Kaiden opened his mouth to give a protest, but closed it at the look she gave him.

“But,” she continued, “if we determine that the Geth are attracted to it, be assured that we will give it to Garrus for sniper practice.”

“You can't,” the scientist protested, “the Illus...I mean, my benefactor... will be most upset if you do that and you don't want to make an enemy of him!”

“Is that a threat?” Garrus stepped forward menacingly.

Shepard held up a hand, pausing him, “ah, what's one more to my list of people who want to kill me?” She quipped before turning serious, “threats don't work on me scientist. You can tell that to your  _benefactor_ as well.”

Shepard turned and walked out of the office, the rest of her team following.

“Are we really going to recover that device?” Tali asked as they climbed into the Mako.

“First we are going to find that Cerberus or whatever they called it base, that was mentioned in that datapad, then we might go looking for that device and _accidentally _drive over it with the Mako.” She grinned, “you know how tricky the steering is on this thing.” 

The scientist watched them drive off from the safety of his office. 

He had almost fainted when the first freaking human Spectre showed up and causally asked if he knew about a Cerberus base nearby.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, the device he had built  _was _ designed to lure Geth.  _Away_ from this Cerberus base. 

Now it could lure Shepard on a wild goose chase while they packed up and got the hell off the planet. Thank goodness this planet's natural magnetic base scrambled navigation equipment and Shepard had no clue that she had already stumbled upon the base she was looking for.

Small mercies compared to what the Illusive Man would do to him if his real experiments and research were to be discovered.

Walking briskly out into the compound, he began yelling at his subordinates to start the evacuation. 

Hopefully, by the time Shepard returned, all she would find would be an empty base.


End file.
